May I Have This Dance? (ch2)

FINAL FIC FOR PATRONS ON MY "PER STORY" CAMPAIGN ON PATREON. REMINDER THAT I WILL BE SWITCHING TO A MONTHLY CAMPAIGN ON MAY 1ST.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

----------------------

							Chapter 2.

The next morning came bearing a tentative promise, and it was the first thing on Weiss' mind when she woke in bed.

The night had been warm, and she had slept on top of her blankets, so it didn't take long at all to tidy her bed. She went to her personal bathroom and freshened up, showering, drying her hair and brushing it before getting dressed for the day.

She had several lessons from her tutors scheduled, but she was praying that the call she was expecting wouldn't interrupt any of those.

Once she had made herself presentable, she headed downstairs for breakfast. Her father already sat at the table, but Winter had yet to arrive. Weiss greeted him softly, and what surprised her was when he actually looked up and addressed her.

"You received a call a few moments ago. From Mr. Nikos' daughter Pyrrha. He requested I send you his daughter's contact information. It would be rude not to return her call."

It was difficult for Weiss not to let the smile spread across her lips instantly, and she quickly straightened her back and nodded.

"Thank you, Father. I'll do that right away."

She turned around and walked briskly out of the room, reaching into her pocket for her scroll. Sure enough, there was a small message from her father blinking, and when she clicked on the screen, it opened up into a new window displaying Pyrrha's scroll number. Weiss copied and saved it instantly before pressing down on it and allowing it to send a call.

She listened to the dial tone, expecting it to drag on for a few minutes, but it cut off after only two rings. A new camera screen appeared on her scroll, and the image of a crimson-haired girl came into view.

"Weiss!" she said cheerfully. "How are you this lovely morning? How's your ankle doing? It's wonderful to hear from you!"

The heiress was almost at a loss for what to say until she realized she should probably begin with a greeting.

"Good morning, Pyrrha. I'm fine. I just got your information from my father. I hope I haven't kept you waiting for long."

"Not at all!" the other girl beamed. "I'm sorry I called you so early in the morning! I woke up and was just so excited to do it! I couldn't stop thinking about it all night!"

"Don't apologize. It's all I was thinking about last night, as well," Weiss agreed.

"Well, isn't that funny? I'm glad to know you were as excited to talk more to me as I was to talk to you!"

Weiss murmured her next reply under her breath.

"I'm fairly certain I was more excited..."

"Sorry. What was that?"

"Nothing," Weiss said, offering a smile. But she realized she would have to go back to breakfast soon, and decided to end the call for now. "I'm sorry, but I've got to attend breakfast with my family, and after that I've got lessons. But I'll be free after supper, if you'd like to..." She stopped herself, realizing that she was assuming things - assuming that Pyrrha really liked her so much that she would go out of her way to call her a second time that day. Weiss shook her head. "Never mind. Just the fact that you've spoken to me at all today is more than eno-"

"Oh, I'd love to call you again this evening!" Pyrrha said happily. "You can tell me about your day and I'll tell you about mine! How does that sound?"

Weiss blinked once, her voice cautious now, as if she were afraid to scare Pyrrha if she replied too excitedly.

"That sounds nice. Very nice. I'd like that a lot."

"Wonderful!" Pyrrha clapped her hands together, and Weiss had to put a palm to her mouth briefly to hide how wide her smile had grown. Pyrrha continued. "I'll give you a call after supper, then. And it's fine if you don't answer! Just call back whenever it's convenient for you, then!"

"Alright," Weiss nodded, pulling her hand away from her lips. "Thank you, Pyrrha."

"Not at all! Thank you, Weiss!"

With that, Pyrrha's image disappeared, leaving Weiss to stare at the line of numbers that had led her to the girl in the first place. She closed her scroll and stood there in the breezeway for a minute longer, waiting for the fuzzy sensation in her chest to finally die down.

But even when she returned to breakfast, the smile never faded from her lips.

----------------------

Pyrrha called her that evening just as Weiss had returned to her room after supper.

She sat down on her bed and answered with a smile.

"Perfect timing," she said.

"Oh, really? I'm glad!"

They talked for a while, much longer than they had that morning. It was the longest call Weiss had ever been involved in before by choice. They spoke of what they had accomplished that day, little occurrences here and there that they thought the other might be interested in hearing. Everyday events that had taken on a rather boring air of being commonplace were suddenly worth talking about when it was to the girl on the other end of the call.

Weiss started with the biggest events – her private lectures and combat training – and Pyrrha took genuine interest in every word she spoke. She shared tidbits of her day with Weiss as well, and the heiress was respectful and quiet as she listened, imagining Pyrrha doing everything she described. She had seen her perform in tournaments before, be it on-screen or in person.

Weiss herself had even competed in some of the same pageants as Pyrrha had, and understandably lost to her. But she didn't mention those things for fear of making Pyrrha feel guilty about something she should be proud of.

They talked for hours, until the battery on Weiss' scroll started to flash red. It was only then she peeled her eyes away from the screen and looked up, finding her room in growing shadows, the warm breeze passing in through her window becoming chilled now.

Evidently, Pyrrha noticed the time as well.

"Oh my! I'm sorry I've kept you up so late with my ramblings."

"No, it's fine!" Weiss smiled at her. "You don't ramble at all. I love the stories you tell me."

"Aw, you're too sweet!"

Weiss hoped the green glare of the screen over her image effectively hid her blush from Pyrrha's view.

"I'll let you go, then," the heiress murmured. "It was very fun talking to you, Pyrrha." It was the most Weiss had ever voluntarily spoken during a day, and it was certainly nice to know when someone else was attentively listening. She didn't want to be greedy, but she would never be opposed to doing it more often. Which was why she went on in a subdued voice. "Perhaps... we can do this again sometime?"

"Oh, for sure!" Pyrrha beamed. "How about tomorrow evening? That is, if you aren't too busy!"

"That sounds fine." Weiss was pleasantly surprised that Pyrrha had agreed to speak to her more, and so soon. "I should thank you for talking to me today, Pyrrha. I've never done anything like this before. I had a lot of fun."

"I'm so glad! I did as well! I love talking to you, Weiss!" Pyrrha gave her a beautiful smile, one not even the fuzzy screen of her scroll could diminish the beauty of. "Well, then I'll talk to you again tomorrow night! Rest well, Weiss!"

"You too. Goodnight, Pyrrha."

They hung up, and unbeknownst to each of them, the other did exactly as she herself did, simply sitting on her bed for a moment, letting everything sink in, remembering how all of this had started at the banquet, and seeing how much things had progressed in only a day.

Then, fingers went to cheeks, each lightly tracing over the spot where the other's lips had met her skin only twenty-four hours ago.

And as they curled up in bed that night, both wondered how long it would be until they could next meet in person to reinforce those kisses.

----------------------

It became a part of both of their schedules, to share a call at the end of the day.

A few instances arose over the weeks where one of them would have to attend an event and stay out late, so on those nights their calls were sometimes skipped over – although it was a pleasant surprise to come home late and find the other girl still awake and ready to talk for a few minutes.

But overall, the month passed with Pyrrha and Weiss calling one another and speaking almost daily.

They each quickly learned what the other's personal life was like, and knew her friend's schedule better than her own.

Pyrrha knew the exact times to text Weiss a message in between her lectures, and Weiss knew exactly when to message Pyrrha a humble "good morning" without disturbing her sleep.

They learned much about each other in those three weeks since the banquet when they had first met.

But to learn much about each other, they had to share about themselves.

Weiss had never been good at it, though judging by how easily Pyrrha managed it, she could tell the other girl was very open by nature.

Unlike Weiss, Pyrrha was proudly candid about her feelings and emotions, whether they were positive or negative; though she did do her best to avoid the latter, she knew it was better to occasionally express her frustration in constructive ways rather than let it build up until it wrongly exploded.

But Weiss wasn't very used to expressing herself – it was merely a difference in the ways they had been raised. The heiress had been a victim of her own introverted tendencies many times in the past, and she wasn't about to let such things impede on her newfound relationship with Pyrrha.

She did her best to be open with the other girl, conveying her emotions to the best of her abilities, always apologizing afterward for how awkward she must have sounded.

But Pyrrha never ignored her, never invalidated what she was feeling, and she always made it a point to thank Weiss for trusting her enough to share her emotions with her.

The heiress' frustrations and moments of anger were temporary, and since she had been interacting with Pyrrha more often, feelings of happiness and content tended to last longer.

But as the days went by, it was clear to Weiss that there was a certain emotion that would not be going away, no matter how hard she tried to stifle it.

That longing, that need to see Pyrrha again, to embrace her and be embraced by her-

-to feel her lips, but not just on her cheek.

As soon as she realized what it all meant, Weiss became constantly flustered, and painfully nervous. The ease that had settled over her when speaking to Pyrrha had now been glossed over by this troublesome anxiety, and before very much longer, Weiss had found herself at a stalemate within her soul; confess her feelings to Pyrrha and regret it afterward when their friendship was consequently ruined, or keep her emotions concealed for as long as possible.

She had done it before, not with hiding affection, but Weiss had successfully hid feelings of grief, fear, and insecurity countless times in the past. She could do it again this time.

And yet... she detested the thought of keeping secrets from Pyrrha, the person whom Weiss had opened up to so much already in only a month, the person who had put her utmost trust in Weiss in return.

More than a few times, Pyrrha had said to her: "I've never told this to anyone else" before revealing something to Weiss. They were meant to be secrets between the closest of friends, not burdens meant to weigh the other down.

If Weiss had learned anything from Pyrrha over the weeks, it was that it was much better to get things off her chest rather than continuously swallow them back down. But this would be difficult considering the nature of what Weiss would have to confess.

Her family would be holding a banquet in one week's time, and Pyrrha's family was going to attend. Weiss wanted to tell her beforehand, but with each passing night, she only grew quieter and quieter, less and less willing to tell the truth.

Pyrrha noticed the change in her friend instantly. Weiss was smiling less, and the few times she did try to, it was forced. Several times, Weiss had even left abruptly in the middle of a call, and Pyrrha was convinced she saw tears in the girl's eyes more than once.

Pyrrha knew better than to pry into other people's business, but she was concerned because this was Weiss. What could be so upsetting she couldn't even trust Pyrrha with the knowledge of it?

It was worrying her to no end, and the night before the next banquet was when Pyrrha finally had to address this.

She had just asked Weiss how her day had been, and received the despondent answer of, "Fine..."

Pyrrha took on a stern expression, and yet still somehow soft and concerned for her friend as she spoke again.

"Weiss... is something the matter? You've seemed very sad recently. If there's something bothering you, you can always tell me." She swallowed when a troubling possibility quickly jumped to the front of her mind. "Are... Are you ill...?"

"No..." Weiss murmured. "Nothing like that. I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Don't apologize!" Pyrrha fretted. "I just... I want to help you, Weiss. Whatever it is, I'll listen to you. I won't judge you. I just want you to be all right."

Her words both helped and hurt Weiss; helped her because it just reassured her how pure Pyrrha's soul was, and hurt her because it reminded her of what she might lose if she messed this up.

It was a blunder she couldn't afford.

Weiss inhaled shakily. She was scared of her own feelings, scared of what all of this could mean, scared of what might result from it all. She didn't even make an effort to hide her tears this time, and she blinked them away, letting them fall onto her bed.

Pyrrha watched her cry with tortured eyes, wanting nothing more than to be by her side right this instant.

"Weiss..."

Pyrrha's voice was helpless. Weiss hated that she was making her friend feel that way. She brushed her arm over her eyes and shook her head in an effort to regain some shred of composure.

"Sorry," she sighed. "I didn't mean to make you worry. I'll tell you tomorrow when I see you. In person. Okay?"

Pyrrha was silent for a moment, watching the image of her friend on the screen. Weiss looked so tired... How long had she been keeping this secret to herself?

"Okay," Pyrrha agreed. "But you've got to promise me. Promise you'll really tell me tomorrow. Don't keep this to yourself any longer, Weiss. Please."

Weiss sniffled once, then nodded, a small smile forming on her lips – a real one.

"I promise, Pyrrha. And I'm sorry again for all of this. I'll see you tomorrow."

Pyrrha nodded and smiled back.

"Goodnight, Weiss. Rest well."

"You, too."

Weiss hung up her scroll, and laid down on her bed. For the past few weeks, she had been distraught about admitting her love for Pyrrha.

But now, she was overcome with a calming feeling, like a reassurance that everything would be alright.

She chose to believe that it would be.

----------------------

The next morning was bright and warm, a perfect representation of the summer season.

Sunlight illuminated Weiss' pastel-colored room, light colors swathing around her as she opened her eyes. Her loose hair shimmered as she pushed herself up away from her pillow and stretched for a moment, then slipped off the edge of her bed.

The banquet was tonight, and she had much to do until evening when the guests would start to arrive.

She dressed causally, leaving her formal dress and shawl on her bed for now to change into later on.

It was then she realized the brooch of her family crest wasn't fixed to the shawl as it had been the last time she had worn it.

She searched her dresser and drawers, scouring her room for it, but ultimately came up empty-handed. It would be easy to get another; her family had produced many accessories with their emblem on it, after all.

But she already regretted the thought of replacing that brooch, simply because it was the one she'd been wearing when she had formally met Pyrrha.

She sighed, taking the lost brooch as a sign that this morning might not be starting out as well as she would have liked it to. But she was determined not to let such a thing bring her down.

Yes, she was nervous about confronting Pyrrha tonight, but she saw no sense in fretting over it now. She had things to do.

Weiss dressed herself and attended breakfast as per usual before getting started on her tasks.

Her lectures for the day had been canceled so she may help prepare for the banquet. Her father had hired men to set up the tables outside behind the mansion, as favorable weather promised to give them a warm day and evening.

Weiss and her sister met one another outside and helped pull white table clothes into place, then doilies and flower vases for decorative purposes.

Weiss focused entirely on her tasks, refusing to allow her mind to stray back to thoughts of Pyrrha. She was set on confessing to her in person, and Weiss wasn't about to start second-guessing herself.

She worked all through the morning to help prepare the banquet, and after eating a small lunch, she retreated back to her room to change.

She hadn't worn this dress since the previous banquet, but she loved the lightness of the material as it fit around her form, a comfortable contrast to the warm summer air. She stepped into her white shoes before freeing her hair to brush it, then tying it back up and adjusting her tiara.

Finally, she wrapped the shawl around her shoulders; it could still be fastened, just didn't look quite right without her brooch.

The next hour flew by, as if the universe knew Weiss needed more time to prepare herself and was refusing to give it to her. She spent a while standing in the foyer and greeting guests that her father brought in, leading them out to the back doors and to the banquet outside.

As one of the host's daughters, Weiss had more responsibilities to oversee before she could bother with dancing, and she was hardly complaining.

She had been nervous at first, but was very pleased in the end to find that not a single one of the boys from last month's party had attended. Pyrrha had held true to her promise.

Weiss smiled a tiny bit when she realized this, and greeted the next few guests pleasantly.

When a young man came up to her offering a dance, she politely declined solely because she still had more guests to greet; it was one of the only acceptable reasons to refuse a dance, and she could only use it for the first hour or so of the party while people were still arriving.

The boy walked out the doors to find another partner, leaving Weiss alone in the foyer, facing toward the front doors.

There was still one family that had yet to arrive.

She waited, and a few moments later, her father came in from the banquet area and passed Weiss, giving her a small nod, the most acknowledgement she would ever get most of the time. He headed to the front doors, this being one of the few times where servants were not required to answer it for him.

Weiss shifted around a bit, clutching her hands together in front of her stomach, fidgeting more and more as the minutes ticked by.

Her father brought in several more couples and families, but it was not until fifteen minutes later when Weiss finally saw the person she had been seeking all evening.

She could hear Pyrrha's parents apologizing to her own father for their being late due to inconveniences in catching their Air Ship. Their eldest and youngest sons were with them, as well as their eldest daughter.

Weiss straightened up instantly. She was preparing herself to greet them as her father brought them toward her, and she breathed in, getting ready to say the welcoming words.

But just before she could, Pyrrha spotted her and gave a delighted cry of her name.

"Weiss!"

The heiress was as shocked as her father was when Pyrrha rushed the final few feet toward her and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

"I've missed you terribly!" Pyrrha sighed before stepping back. "Oh! And I believe you dropped this while at my house last month!" She revealed a small, familiar brooch in her palm and presented it to the heiress. Not a second later, she was fastening it into place over the front of Weiss' shawl. "There! Back where it belongs!"

All the while, Weiss was silent from shock, scared to meet eyes with her father. But Pyrrha's mother spoke up with a laugh.

"Pyrrha! Manners, darling."

"Oh!" her daughter cried. "Of course! I'm so sorry, Weiss! Sorry, Mr. Schnee!" Pyrrha dipped her head to Weiss before turning around and doing the same to her father. "It's just customary in my family to greet friends in such a way. I didn't mean to be rude."

Weiss peered anxiously around the taller girl, seeking her father's reaction. It ended up being one she certainly hadn't been expecting.

"It's quite alright," he said. "Clearly, the relationship between you two has been blossoming significantly over the past several weeks. It's highly beneficial to both estates, so don't apologize." He lifted his hand invitingly toward Pyrrha's family. "Now then, allow me to lead you to your table outside." Then, he briefly turned back to look at Weiss, his eyes unreadable. "You take good care of Miss Pyrrha."

Weiss had to bite her tongue so she wouldn't stammer in her response.

"Yes, Father."

"Good then. Now if you will..." He led the Nikos' to the doors, leaving only both families' eldest daughters behind.

Weiss was almost flabbergasted as she watched them go, blinking in disbelief as they walked through the doors, leaving Pyrrha and herself alone inside. Pyrrha watched them go as well before directing a beaming smile back down to Weiss.

"That worked out grandly! Now it won't be questioned when we spend time alone together. And this way, we won't have to worry about unruly boys chasing after us!" Her emerald eyes softened a bit as she pulled Weiss into another gentle hug. "How have you been, Weiss?" she wondered softly.

She hadn't forgotten the way she had seen Weiss on their call yesterday, and concern laced her tone now. Weiss wasn't returning her embrace, either. Pyrrha took a step back, finding the heiress to be avoiding her gaze.

Weiss was struggling; she failed to translate the swirling jumble of thoughts in her head into coherent sentences on her lips. She knew Pyrrha was growing more anxious by the second, and Weiss didn't manage to speak up before her friend did again.

"Weiss..." Pyrrha murmured. "Is it... Is it me? Did I do something wrong?"

Weiss' heart leapt to her throat, and it was all she could do to swallow and keep it down.

"No!" she cried, looking up, her blue eyes distressed. "You've done nothing wrong, Pyrrha. This is just... something that's difficult for me to handle. That's all."

Pyrrha was silent for a moment, searching Weiss' expression. Then, she slipped her hands under Weiss' wrists, settling her palms beneath the heiress' as she bent down a bit to meet her eyes.

"I'm here to listen, Weiss. You can tell me anything."

Weiss breathed in, but the exhale was shaky, and Pyrrha heard it clearly.

"I know," Weiss murmured. "Thank you for that, Pyrrha. I plan to tell you, just... perhaps not here." She lifted her head and glanced around, discovering no one from outside was watching them. Weiss took a step back, urging Pyrrha forward with her. "Follow me."

She kept a grasp on one of Pyrrha's hands, turning and leading her toward the staircase that led to the second floor. Pyrrha followed hastily, her red shoes never leaving Weiss' shadow as they climbed the stairs.

The sounds of the banquet got fainter for a moment as Weiss brought them to the next floor. She turned down a hallway and halted at a closed door she need not knock on before entering, which implied to Pyrrha that it was Weiss' own quarters.

They slipped inside, and Pyrrha needed to keep all of her questions quiet for now, at least until Weiss stopped moving them.

They crossed the room until Weiss came to two large glass doors. Once she had opened them, Pyrrha discovered they led out onto a large balcony.

With a wide, circular ground and small pillars around the edges for a wall, the area could probably support a small banquet of its own. The stones were all polished and white, and a few flower pots dotted the edges to give some color and life. The music from the banquet below drifted up, providing pleasant background noise for the two girls.

It took Pyrrha a moment to realize Weiss had closed the doors behind them, giving them their own personal space. Pyrrha stepped out slowly, mesmerized by the way the sunset's colors were reflecting faint oranges and golds off the white stone.

"This is incredible..." she murmured. "I feel I could dance here for hours on end!"

And she seemed eager to do just that.

Weiss watched her twirl once, smiling, her scarlet dress flowing up about her knees as she glided around the balcony, eager to move and feel the warm summer air move with her.

Weiss quietly let go of Pyrrha's hand and took a seat on one of the few chairs that sat there near the doors. For several moments, she was more than content to simply sit where she was and watch Pyrrha.

She moved with a grace that demonstrated years of practice – perhaps years of dancing alone in her room, much like Weiss herself. She twirled and stepped, laughing merrily all the while, the sound so enchanting, so magical that it made Weiss forget all of her troubles.

If she had any doubts about her love for Pyrrha until now, they were undeniably shattered in this instant.

The fabrics of Pyrrha's crimson dress caught the fading sunlight, and golden rays slipped through her hair, overall making for a soft orange glow around her. Gentle fire swirled around her swaying form, color and warmth touching everything Pyrrha did.

And after a while, she led the very same color and warmth over to that lone chair where Weiss sat, and the heiress found she no longer needed to clutch her shawl to her chest to keep the breeze away.

"I'm sorry," Pyrrha said, a little breathlessly. "I just got carried away. It's so beautiful up here. I don't have a balcony like this near my room."

"I usually venture out here when I need to think," Weiss explained. And in the past weeks, her balcony was where she would go before or after calling with Pyrrha.

The other girl knew that whatever was troubling Weiss had to do with her directly, and she was intent to hear it from Weiss herself tonight.

"As I said..." Pyrrha once more took Weiss' hands in hers. "I'll listen, Weiss. Whatever you want to say, whenever you're ready."

She had an idea of what it could be, what could have brought Weiss to tears in thinking about yesterday. But she didn't want to assume; she wanted to hear it from Weiss herself.

Pyrrha sat down in the chair next to Weiss', though never let go of her hands. She kept her eyes on her friend's face, waiting to meet those pools of pure blue.

But Weiss apologized softly as she stood, having Pyrrha do the same. "I think I can say this better if I'm moving a bit."

Pyrrha blinked once before smiling.

"Then..." She offered her hand to Weiss, bending her back in a slight bow. "May I have this dance?"

It was everything Weiss had never been presented with before in a dance partner.

She nodded, a smile also curling her lips as she slipped her hand into Pyrrha's.

"You may. Thank you."

Pyrrha walked her over to the center of the balcony, keeping hold of Weiss' left hand in her right, but the other hovered in midair for a second until Weiss gently guided it to her waist, and the heiress placed her free hand on Pyrrha's shoulder.

They went slowly, matching one another step for step, getting a feeling for a pace the other was comfortable with. There was a faint scent of perfume drifting between them, and the warm breeze stirring around them was comforting. The music from the yard below floated up to them, and Weiss found that Pyrrha's smile was contagious.

It was like a miracle to Weiss, how suddenly everything within her frantic heart and frazzled mind fell into place all at once. Pyrrha's presence put her at ease, and the fog that had clouded her mind for the past month finally seemed to clear. Weiss let out a small breath before finding her voice.

"I'm just going to be straightforward. I don't like denying my own emotions. I want to validate them." At last, she made proper eye contact, instantly captivated by bright emerald. "Pyrrha... I like you. I really like you. I think I have for some time now..."

Somehow, she managed to keep her voice calm and steady, despite how quickly her heart was racing. But she did have to admit it was a great weight off her chest to finally say. Weiss was glad they were moving, because she could feel her hands trembling.

The crimson-haired girl blinked once as she absorbed her friend's words. Part of her knew exactly what Weiss meant, and yet the other part of herself was hesitant to believe it. She just needed to be certain, for both of their sakes.

"Well, of course I like you too, Weiss!" she said with a smile. "Your father even said it himself, how our relationship has been blossoming since we've met."

"That's just it, Pyrrha," Weiss continued, her steps slowing just a bit. "It's not just liking you as a friend. It's... more than that. And I'm surer than ever about it now. But..." She felt a prickling in her chest, like vines with thorns beginning to tangle into knots, and she forced herself to go on before her voice could waver any more than it already was. "But I want to know if you feel the same. Because it isn't fair to you if I'm the only one who-"

"Weiss!" Pyrrha whispered, squeezing her hand. A heartfelt smile broke out on her lips, brighter than the sinking sunlight. "Oh, Weiss! I'm- I can't believe that you... you really feel that way, too! I'm so happy!" She paused their dance to squeeze Weiss close to her for the third time that evening.

And this time, Weiss hugged her back. although when she spoke next, the heiress' voice was uncertain.

"Pyrrha..." She stepped back a bit to seek her friend's eyes. "Even though we've only met a few weeks ago... do you... feel the same?"

Pyrrha couldn't wipe the grin off her face.

"I do, Weiss!" she sang cheerfully. And in one swift motion, she slipped both hands to Weiss' hips and lifted her shoes off the ground, spinning her once before setting her back down. "I really do, Weiss! I've met you a few times before and seen you from afar, and I've always thought how lovely you are. And after talking to you all those nights, hearing what makes you happy and what makes you sad, hearing about your dreams and goals and about just how beautiful of a person you are... it's made me realize just how much I like you."

Weiss clung to Pyrrha's arms, baffled by the arsenal of praises she had just received, still surprised by how effortless Pyrrha had lifted her. She was a mess, and yet perfectly organized at the same time, fighting internally to sort things out as they were made clear to her.

"Really? Do you mean all of that?"

"Of course I do! It's nothing but the truth, Weiss. It's been so long since I've started thinking about you and been unable to stop."

Weiss blinked slowly up at her and took a deep breath.

"Really...? It's been the same for me. For a while now." She could feel the smile trying to curl her lips, but she needed to force it back down – until she was certain. "Pyrrha..."

At the sound of Weiss' voice saying her name so softly, Pyrrha searched her eyes, smiling faintly, offering encouragement for the heiress to go on.

"Yes?"

Whatever Weiss told her, she would be supportive and accepting in every way she could.

Weiss inhaled deeply before finally saying it.

"I'm no fool. I know what this is. And I know... that I'm in love with you," she confessed – she confessed and she was scared but it felt so good. "I'm in love with you... and like I said, I don't want to be unless you-"

"Unless I felt the same way," Pyrrha finished softly, nodding in comprehension. "And Weiss, I think I do feel the same way. I really mean it. You're an incredible person and I've admired you for a long time, even before we started talking so much!"

Weiss was beyond touched by those words, and she felt water rise up behind her eyes.

"It's the same for me. For years I've admired you, Pyrrha. For so long..." She faltered for a moment, wiping the back of her hand over her eyes. Pyrrha had to do the same for herself.

A moment later, Weiss cleared her throat and met her eyes again, and Pyrrha saw more uncertainty there as the heiress went on. "But... But how can we be sure this is right...?"

The last thing she wanted was to drag Pyrrha down into some delusional romance with no true meaning behind it.

Pyrrha saw the conflicting emotions in Weiss', and even a bit of fear. Again, she smiled softly and with a gentle squeeze, pulled Weiss closer.

"I'm sure this is right, Weiss. And I think there's one way we can confirm that." She leaned down slightly and brushed their foreheads together, her fingers curling into Weiss' dress at her sides. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she looked down, and Weiss met her gaze.

The heiress was silent as she pieced together the puzzle of what was to come.

Still, ever polite and caring, Pyrrha asked her first.

"May I kiss you, Weiss?"

Weiss' heart thumped twice as hard and twice as fast.

Never before had anyone asked her for such a thing. She was elated that the first time she heard those words, they were from Pyrrha – the girl she loved who loved her back.

Weiss swallowed, breathed, and nodded.

"Yes. You may."

There was a moment of pause; not because of hesitance though – they were both more than certain of this now. Pyrrha simply took a moment to engrave this moment into her heart, and Weiss took the chance to do the very same.

Neither could believe it was real. They needed proof.

Weiss closed her eyes, and Pyrrha took her cue and did the same.

It was very soft, very gentle as their lips came together. Weiss did her best not to pull back out of sheer disbelief of the reality of it all, and Pyrrha had to stop herself from giggling joyfully. She felt Weiss wrap her slender arms around her shoulders, and in turn Pyrrha tightened her embrace on the girl's back.

The air around them was warm, and the breath between them warmer still.

The kiss lasted for a flawless moment before the two girls parted, eyes slowly blinking back open. They were each slightly breathless, and there were tears on cheeks. Weiss reached up to brush Pyrrha's away, and Pyrrha reflected the motion for her.

"Well then..." she murmured to the heiress. "Did that help... confirm things a bit?"

Weiss' eyes shimmered with emotion.

"Absolutely," she breathed. "Thank you, Pyrrha. That's certainly cleared things up for the better," she chuckled.

"Oh..." Pyrrha brought a hand to her mouth, unable to stop a few more tears from slipping free. "I'm... I'm so glad, Weiss. I'm so glad this is what we both want."

"I know," Weiss whispered sweetly, reaching up to catch the girl's tears on her fingers. "I feel exactly the same, Pyrrha. And now I've just got to ask..." She chuckled softly to herself, offering a beautiful smile, as pure as her feelings were. "May I kiss you, Pyrrha?"

The response was a beautiful laugh, and an even more beautiful smile.

"Of course!"

Pyrrha scooped Weiss into her arms and spun her again, holding her up and perching the heiress on the crook of her elbow. Weiss laughed softly, keeping a grip around Pyrrha's shoulders as she dipped her head, brushing their noses together. Pyrrha giggled and titled her chin up, closing her eyes expectantly.

And of course, Weiss did not disappoint.

She pressed her lips against Pyrrha's, and she felt the other girl hum pleasantly.

Weiss pulled back a moment later, gazing down into Pyrrha's emerald eyes. Pyrrha kept the heiress on her arm, pulling her in and laughing aloud as she nuzzled into Weiss' shawl. The heiress hugged her shoulders, sighing happily as she ran her fingers through crimson tresses. Pyrrha hugged her waist in turn, feeling bubbles of excitement swirling around in her stomach.

"Mhm, Weiss?" she hummed. "Are you alright? Your heart's going a mile a minute. Maybe two!"

"I'm more than alright." Weiss kissed the crown of Pyrrha's head.

"Okay then. I'm glad," Pyrrha murmured blissfully.

She waited a moment longer, savoring Weiss' arms around her shoulder, listening to the other girl's ecstatic heartbeat.

Then, she slowly, carefully let Weiss back down to her feet, reaching out to run a hand through her ponytail.

"Now then," Weiss muttered. "How to... explain all of this..."

"Oh, you mean to our parents?" Pyrrha guessed. "I don't think we've got to worry about them! Actually... aha..." She paused, chuckling a bit bashfully to herself, a pink blush rising to her cheeks. "My parents actually mentioned to me that... they suspected I was in love with you judging by how I acted. They said it would be a fine development, and that even your father wouldn't object. I feel they even might've spoken to him about it!"

At the mention of her father having known about her affections for Pyrrha all along, Weiss blushed as well.

"Ah, well then... I guess we don't have to hide it, do we?"

"I certainly don't think so!" Pyrrha beamed. She cast a glance over the edge of the balcony to the party below, cloaked in twilight. "Shall we... head on down to the banquet together then?" she asked.

"I'd love to," the heiress nodded. "But maybe... after just one last dance here?" She smiled shyly, and Pyrrha grinned in return.

"Of course!"

They took one another's hands, smiling softly as they started to move together, tresses and dresses of crimson and white flowing all around them, and like the warm summer sun and the cool winter moon, they danced.

And when they paused for rest, they shared another kiss – their third, with many more to come.

----------------------

A/N: Thanks for reading, everyone!